Fastener sorting apparatus

ABSTRACT

A sorting apparatus for detecting improperly-shaped fasteners, for example, nails, screws or the like, within a row of properly shaped fasteners and segregating and then expelling these improper fasteners from the proper fasteners.

[111 3,709,328 Jan. 95

United States Patent 1 Mohr et al.

[54] FASTENER SORTING APPARATUS [56] References Cited x 8 m 9 o 2 m N.Em Tm Am m m mm SS D m H9 N U 7 m. H 3

2,156,822 511939 Smith 3,498,452 3/1970 Aronstein et al..... 2,355,311

8/1944 Linkner...;................-........:

- Nuertingen, Germany Primary Examiner-Allen N. Knowles Attorney-ArthurKlein [22] Filed: Aug. 12, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 63,252

ABSTRACT [52] US. Cl. ........................209/73, 209/82, 209/88, v

A sorting apparatus for detecting improperly-shaped fasteners, forexample, nails, screws or the like, within [51] Int.

a row of properly shaped fasteners and segregating and then expellingthese improper fasteners from the proper fasteners.

[58] Field of Search.................

I 19 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 9 E175 SHEET 1 BF 4lnventans: Johannes MOHR Adolf CA ST fl/Z;

Attorne PATENTEDJAN 9 1975 SHEET 2 [IF 4 Int 8010B; Johannes MOHR AdoCAST Attorney I N .m WE

PATENTEDJAN 9 I973 SHEET 3 BF 4 Invent0rs= Johan nas MOHR AdoLf CAST fidq Attorney PATENTEU JAN 9 I975 SHEET [If 4 Inventors Jo hannes MOHR 1FASTENER SORTING APPARATUS The present invention relates to a sortingapparatus for segregating improperly-shaped fasteners such as nails,bolts, rivets or the like from those of a proper shape while thesefasteners are conveyed in a row parallel to each other along a conveyor.

It is an object of the present invention to provide such a sortingapparatus in which the operations of detecting improperly-shapedfasteners within a row of properly-shaped fasteners and of ejecting themfrom this row may be carried out at the highest possible speed.

One feature of the invention for attaining this object consists in theprovision of a gauging device in which each individual fastener ischecked for its accuracy and from which the properly-shaped fastenersare then further conveyed, while those fasteners which are found to beof an improper size or shape are ejected. Another feature of theinvention consists in providing this gauging device in a substantiallystraight alignment with the conveyor along which the fasteners are fedto this device. If desirable, the properly-shaped fasteners may befurther conveyed from the gauging device in substantially the samegeneral direction in which all of the fasteners are fed to the gaugingdevice, whereas the improper fasteners after being detected are ejectedin a different direction.

Another object of the invention consists in providing such a sortingapparatus with a gauging device which is capable of detecting andreacting upon a variety of irregularities of the fasteners checked,which may consist, for example, of undesirable curvatures of the shanksof these fasteners regardless of the directions in which they might bebent, or if improper thicknesses or lengths of the fasteners.

For attaining this last object, the invention provides a gauging devicewhich comprises one or more gauging pockets which are substantially inalignment with the end of the feed conveyor or may even be disposedwithin the feed conveyor. This gauging pocket which is adapted toreceive one fastener at a time from the feed conveyor and has a lengthsubstantially equal to the length of the fasteners is limited by wallsurfaces at two opposite sides and also at a third side. An importantfeature of the invention consists in designing at least one of thesewall surfaces defining the gauging pocket so as to be movable relativeto the feed conveyor and in providing at least one gauging device whichis actuated by any part of an improperly-shaped fastener which projectsfrom the fourth side of the gauging pocket and then, in turn, actuatesan ejecting device for ejecting such a fastener from the gauging pocket.

The advantages of the sorting apparatus according to the invention maybe briefly described as follows:

Since the entry to the gauging pocket is in substantially straightalignment with the feed conveyor or this pocket may be even disposedwithin this conveyor each fastener will pass from this conveyor directlyinto the gauging pocket which may be effected at a considerable speed.Since the gauging pocket has a length substantially equal to the lengthof the fastener, it permits any irregularities to be detected whichmight be present on any part of the length of the fastener. Since thegauging pocket is limited not only on two opposite sides but also on itsthird side, it permits curvatures in the shank of a fastener to bedetected which may extend in any direction from the normal axis of thefastener. The

fastener may then either not be able at all to fit into the gaugingpocket or if it is able to pass into this pocket, the bent part thereofwill project from the open fourth side of the pocket. By designing atleast one of the walls of the pocket so as to be movable relative to thefeed conveyor, any fastener after being tested in the gauging pocket mayleave the latter in substantially the same direction in which it hasbeen fed to the pocket. By providing at least one gauging device whichis actuated when determining that a fastener in the gauging pocket doesnot have the proper shape or size, this gauging device will actuate anejecting device immediately after this fastener leaves the gaugingpocket so as to eject this improper fastener in a direction differentfrom the feeding direction for being collected in a suitable container.The present invention therefore permits all of the fasteners to be fedin a straight direction to the gauging pocket and all proper fastenersto be moved out and away from this pocket in substantially the samedirection in which they have entered, while the gauging pocket incooperation with the ejecting device will function substantially like aswitch rail which deflects an improper fastener in a direction differentfrom the general feeding direction.

The gauging device according to the invention may be operatedmechanically or it may consist of an optical device or a pneumaticdevice which carries out the gauging operation by means of one or morelight beams or by one or more blasts of air. This gauging device mayengage with parts of a fastener projecting from the fourth side of thegauging pocket and/or it may scan the fastener within the pocket. in thelatter case, the gauging device indicates that the fastener in thepocket has the proper size and shape when this fastener fills out thegauging pocket completely, which is possible only if the fastener, forexample, a nail, is straight and of the proper dimensions. if, however,the fastener is bent, or too thick or too thin or even too short, itwill not fill out the gauging pocket completely and the gauging devicewill then indicate the presence of an improper fastener which will thenbe thrown out of the pocket by the ejecting device. While the mechanicalgauging device is especially suitable for testing the area immediatelyadjacent to the gauging pocket, the pneumatic or optical gauging deviceis especially suitable for testing a fastener which is located withinthe gauging pocket.

According to one preferred embodiment of the invention, the fastenersorting apparatus comprises a continuously revolving element which mayconsist of a chain, wheel or the like and the outer peripheral surfaceof which is provided with a toothed rim containing parallel, outwardlyopen grooves which are adapted to form a large series of gauging pocketswhich are adapted to receive the fasteners from the end of a feed rail.These gauging pockets are operatively associated with a gauging devicewhich has a length equal to that of the fasteners and is locatedimmediately adjacent to the outer opening of each of the groovestraveling past the gauging device during the rotation of the toothedrim. If any of the fasteners in the grooves has a part projecting fromthe groove, this part will engage upon the gauging device and therebymove the same, for example, by pivoting it against the action of aspring. This movement will immediately actuate the ejecting device whichwill expel the improper fastener from its groove. A fastener sortingapparatus of this type of construction is capable of operatingcontinuously.

According to another preferred embodiment of the invention, the gaugingpocket is provided in a part of the slotted feed rail in the form of aslot which is in alignment with the guide slot of the feed rail and hasa depth as seen in the feeding direction which is substantially equal tothe diameter of the shanks of the fasteners, for example, nails. Thisapparatus is further provided with a stop member which is adapted toreciprocate from a position in which it closes the front end of the slotforming the gauging pocket to a position in which the front end of thisslot is open. When this stop member is in its closing position, thegauging 'pocket which is formed by this slot is limited in threedirections, namely by the two opposite side walls of the slot and thestop member at the front end of the slot. The gauging pocket in the formof the mentioned slot when forwardly closed by the stop member may havea depth substantially equal to the corresponding dimension of thefastener and a length substantially equal to the length of the fastener.It may, however, also be made of a considerably greater depth if agauging device, for example, in the form of a photbelectric or pneumaticdevice, is provided which determines whether or not the fastener in theslot when engaging upon the stop member has the required width, as seenin the feeding direction. Due to the reciprocation of the stop memberfrom its closing position to its retracted position, this apparatusaccording to the invention operates intermittently. 1

The features and advantages of the present invention will become moreclearly apparent from the following detailed description thereof whichis to be read with reference to the accompanying diagrammaticallysimplified drawings, in which FIG. 1 shows a top view of a mechanismaccording to a first embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2 and 3 show cross sections which are taken along the lines 11 IIand Ill III of FIG. 1, respectively;

FIG. 4 shows a top view ofa mechanism according to a second embodimentof the invention; while FIG. 5 shows a cross section which is takenalong the line V V ofFlG. 4.

Referring first to the feed mechanism as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 3,this mechanism is adapted to feed nails 1 to a collator, not shown,which connects the nails 1 in a row parallel to each other to form anail strip, for example, by gluing. The feed mechanism comprises alongitudinally slotted, downwardly inclined rail 2 which is adapted tofeed the nails by gravity and terminates into the gap between a groovedwheel 3, which is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis 4, and-aserrated wheel 5 which is mounted so as to be rotatable about an axis 7at one end of a lever 6. The other end of this lever 6 is mounted so asto be pivotable about an axis 8. The end of the lever 6, carrying theserrated wheel 5 is connected to a coil spring 9 which tends to pullthescrrated wheel 5 toward the periphery of the grooved wheel 3. Wheel 5 isprovided with teeth 11 which are spaced from each other at a distancewhich substantially corresponds to the distance between the axes of theshanks of the adjacent nails 1 which are supplied in a row by the feedrail 2. In this particular embodiment of the invention, the nails 1 aresuspended by their heads on the edges of a slot 12 between the' twoparts of the downwardly inclined feed rail 2 so that the longitudinalaxes of the nail shanks extend in verticaldirections. The axis ofrotation 7 of the serrated wheel 5 and the pivotal axis 8 of lever 6therefore also extend parallel to the longitudinal axes of the nails 1and thus in vertical directions. The thickness of the serrated wheel 5only amounts to a fraction of the length of the nails 1, and this wheel5 is mounted on the lever 6 so as to engage with the shanks of nails 1directly underneath the rail 2 and therefore only with the ends of thenails underneath their heads.

The grooved wheel 3 forms a substantially cylindrical element the axisof which coincides with the axis of rotations of this wheel 3. The outeredge of the upper plane surface of wheel 3 is provided with an outwardlyopen annular recess 13 in which a serrated ring 14 is mounted the teethof which are spaced from each other at a distance which substantiallycorresponds to the distance between the longitudinal axes of theadjacent nails in rail 2. The length of the cylinder forming the groovedwheel 3 and thus the thickness of this wheel corresponds substantiallyto the length of the nails 1. The cylindrical outer surface of wheel 3is provided with axially extending grooves 15 which serve as gaugingrecesses forming parts of gauging pockets. Grooves 15 therefore have awidth and depth substantially corresponding to the diameter of theshanks of the nails 1 so that, if the shank of a nail 1 which isinserted into one of the grooves 15 has any irregularity, for example,by being bent or having a portion of a greater than the normalthickness, this irregular part of the nail shank will project from theopen side of groove 15.

The grooved wheel 3 has a central bore 16 in which one end of a shaft 17is secured which is rotatably mounted in a ball bearing 18 which isdisposed at an oblique angle. The other end of shaft 17 which projectsdownwardly from the ball bearing 18 carries a pulley 19 which may beconnected by one or a pair of belts to a drive unit. Due to the inclinedposition of the bearing 18, the axis of rotation 4 of the grooved wheel3 extends at an angle of approximately 10 to a perpendicular plane.Bearing i8 is mounted in such a position that the teeth of the serratedring 14 which are adjacent to the rail 2 are located exactly opposite tothe rail 2 and therefore project underneath the heads of the nails 1.

The pitch of the grooves 15 corresponds to the pitch of I the teeth ofthe serrated ring 14 so that a shank ofa nail l engaging between twoadjacent teeth of ring 14 also engages at the same time into the upperend ofa groove 15 underneath these teeth.

The grooved wheel 3 is provided with an annular chamber 21 which is openat its lower end into which a Z-shaped stationary bracket 22 engages, asshown in FIG. 3, the upper end of which carries within the chamber 21the U-shaped core 23 of an electromagnet 24 the coil 25 of which iswound around the central web of this U-shaped core 23. The free ends ofthe arms of the U-shaped core 23 project through annular slots 26 to thebottom of the grooves 15, and the wall portions 27 and 28 of chamber 21which form the bottom of grooves 15 are supported by the side walls ofthese of core 23 have substantially trapezoidal lateral sides,

and the longer sides of the trapeze which form the outer edges of thearms of core 23 are curved in accordance with the curvature of theperiphery of the grooved wheel 3 and extend from the end of the rail 2to a delivery rail 29. When the electromagnet 24 is energized by anelectric current flowing through the coil 25, the nails 1 which are fedby the rail 2 and are gripped by the teeth of the serrated ring 14 willat the end of rail 2 be drawn magnetically into the associated grooves15 and will normally be held therein until they reach the delivery rail29. Also, since the axis ofrotation of the grooved wheel 3 is obliquelyinclined, a nail which might be hanging obliquely in the rail 2 will atfirst engage into the upper end of the associated groove 15 and willthen be straightened out by being fully drawn into this groove by theaction of the magnet 24/ Therefore all nails 1 which are supplied willbe drawn by the electromagnet 24 into the grooves 15, provided they fitinto these grooves.

In the area between the end of the feed rail 2 and the beginning of thedelivery rail 29 a nozzle 30 is provided, while between the end of feedrail 2 and the nozzle 30 the base plate 31 which carries the bearing 18for the grooved wheel 3 and the pivot pin 8 of the lever 6 also carriesa gauging wing 34 which is mounted so as to be pivotable about the axisof a bearing pin 33 against the action of a tension spring 32. The outeredge 35 of this wing 34 extends substantially along the length of theadjacent groove 15 in wheel 3 and directly adjacent to the open side ofthis groove and serves for gauging or scanning the area at and adjacentto this open side of groove 15. Wing 34 is secured to a tube 36 which isrotatably mounted on the bearing pin 33 and carries diametricallyopposite to wing 34 an arm 37 the free end of which carries a roller 38which is rotatably mounted thereon. When wing 34 is pivoted by engagingwith a projecting part of a fastener in a groove 12, the roller 38 willengage upon an actuating pin 39 of an electric or pneumatic switch 41which is adapted to control an electric or pneumatic circuit, not shown,by means of which the nozzle 30 will be connected to a source ofcompressed air-. The gauging edge 35 of wing 34 and the switch 41 arearranged in such positions relative to each other that, even if a nailwhich is located within a groove 15 of the rotating wheel 3 projectsonly slightly from this groove, this projecting part of the nail willengage against the wing 34 and pivot the latter in the clockwisedirection, as seen in FIG. 1, whereby the roller 38 will engage upon thepin 39 and actuate the switch 41.

Nozzle 30 is mounted in such a position that, when it is connected to asource of compressed air, a blast of air will be ejected from thisnozzle and hit upon an inaccurate nail in the adjacent groove 15 andwill blow the latter out of this groove and away from the wheel 3 sothat it will not enter the delivery rail 29.

Directly behind the nozzle 30, as seen in the direction of rotation ofthe grooved wheel 3, a wedge 43 is provided which forms the front end ofone side of the delivery rail 29 and is adapted to remove the nails 1from the grooved wheel 3 by engaging into the gap between the teeth ofthe serrated ring 14 and the grooves 15 ofthe grooved wheel 3.

During the operation of the mechanism, the grooved wheel 3 which isdriven by drive means, not shown,

rotates in the direction of the arrow 44 as shown in FIG. 1. The nails 1which are supplied by the rail 2 are then taken along by the teeth ofthe serrated ring 14 and at the same time also by the teeth of theserrated wheel 5. Since wheel 5 is pivotably mounted, it may yield for ashort time against the action of spring 9 if the nails are notaccurately held in rail 2 in their prescribed positions relative to theteeth of this wheel. By partly engaging into the upper end of grooves.15 of wheel 3, the nails 1 will then be shifted into alignment withthese grooves within the gap between the grooved wheel 3 and theserrated wheel 5. After passing through this gap, the nails 1 will befurther held in the tooth gaps of the serrated ring 14 by the end ofrail 2 until they will pass at this end of rail 2 into the area in whichthey will be magnetically attracted by the electromagnet 24 and will bedrawn from their perpendicular'position to the inclined position inwhich they engage fully into the respective grooves 15. If such a nailhas the proper shape, it will then be disposed entirely in therespective groove 15 so that during the further rotation of wheel 3 itwill travel past the gauging wing 34 without touching the same and willthen pass to the wedge 43 which removes it from the groove 15 and slidesit into the slot in the delivery rail 24. If the nail has, however, animproper shape and is, for example, bent as shown in FIG. 3 so as toproject partly from the groove 15, the projecting part of this nail 1.will engage with the gauging wing 34 and thereby pivot the latteragainst the force of spring 32 in the clockwise direction, as seen inFIG. 1, so that roller 38 will then actuate the switch 39. By theactuation of switch 39, the nozzle 30 will be connected to the source ofcompressed air and will blow a blast of air against theimproperly-shaped nail which has been discovered by the gauging wing 34and will thereby eject this nail from the respective groove 15.Consequently, the delivery rail 29 will feed only properlyshaped nails 1to the collator.

In the apparatus according to the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to3, it is also possible to provide a permanent magnet in place of theelectromagnet 24. Furthermore, in place of providing an electromagnet 24in a fixed position, it is also possible to provide permanent magnets inthe grooved wheel 3 adjacent to each groove 15. In place of the serratedwheel 5, it is also possible to provide a wheel brush the bristles ofwhich then engage between the nails 1 which are supplied by the feedrail 2.

In order to insure that the apparatus according to FIGS. 1 to 3 willalways function properly, all parts, with the exception of the armsofthe core 23 of magnet 24, which are adjacent to the nails should bemade of a material which cannot be magnetized, for example, ofanon-magnetizable metal or a suitable plastic.

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate another embodiment of the invention, in whichthe feed rail 102 along which the nails 10] are fed to the apparatusterminates directly into the gauging area which is provided in the formof a slot in rail 102. This slot 115 has a width which substantiallycorresponds to the diameter of the nails 10], and at its front end it isadapted to be limited by a slide plate which serves as a stop member andextends in a vertical direction along the entire length of slot 115 andis movable back and forth horizontally in the direction of its planefrom an operative position in which it covers the front end of slot 115to a retracted position in which it is withdrawn from slot 1 15.

At the rear of slot 115, as seen in the feeding direction of the nails101, a segregating device 146 is provided which insures that only asingle nail will be moved at onetime from this point to the slot 115.This segregating device 146 comprises two flat control strips 147 and148 which alternately engage into the path of travel of the nails 101 inrail 102. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the two control strips 147 and 148together with the slide plate 145 form a substantially U-shaped bracket149 which may be reciprocated in the horizontal direction by suitabledriving means, not shown. In FIG. 4 bracket 149 is shown in itsretracted'position in which ment of the invention consists of aphotoelectric gaugslide plate 145 is withdrawn from the gauging slot 115s so that the nail which is located within this slot maybe furtherconveyed either to the collator or be ejected through an ejection slot.The second control strip 148 is located at the same time in its lockingposition, while the first control strip 147 is withdrawn from itslocking position. If bracket 149 is moved from this position to itsoperative position, i.e., downwardly as seen in FIG. 4, at first theslide plate 145 will be moved to this operative position in which itcloses the end of slot 1 15. During the further movement of bracket 149,the first control strip 147 will move to its locking position and willthereby separate the nail 10 which engages upon the second strip 148from the row of nails following it from the rear. As soon as this occursnear the end of the movement of bracket 149, the'second strip 148 willbe moved away from its locking position so that the nail 101 which hasbeen separated from the other nails by the control strip 147 can beconveyed into the slot 115.

For feeding the nails 101 from the segregating device 146 into the slot115 and from the latter either into a delivery rail 129 or into anejecting slot 150, inclined nozzles 151, 152, 153 and 154 are providedat both sides of the path of travel of the nails 101. These nozzles areconnected to sources of compressed air, not shown, and are operated inaccordance with the reciprocating movements of bracket 149 so that, whenthe control strip 148 releases the nail which has been separated fromthe other nails by the control strip 147, blasts of air will be blownsimultaneously through the nozzles 151 and 152 against this nail so asto move it into the slot 115. As soon as this nail has entered the slot115, a gauging device will be actuated which will be subsequentlydescribed. If the nail is of the required accuracy, this gauging devicewill connect the nozzles 153 to a source of compressed air, for example,by means ofa control valve. Since these nozzles 153 are inclined in thedirection toward the delivery rail 129, the nail will then be blown outof slot 115 into the delivery rail when the slide plate 145 has beenretracted from the end of slot 115 and thus from the further straightpath of travel of the nail. If, however. the gauging device determinesthat the nail in slot 115 does not have the required size or shape,nozzles 154 will be connected to the source of compressed air so that,since these nozzles are inclined in the direction toward the lateralejecting slot 150, this nail when released by the slide plate 145 willbe blown out of this ejecting slot 150.

ing device which comprises light sources 155 and photoelectric elements156, for example, photoelectric cells, photoconductive cells or thelike. The light sources 155 are disposed within a perpendicular row inbores which are provided in one side wall of slot 115, whilecorresponding bores in the opposite wall of slot which are in alignmentwith the bores in the first wall contain the photoelectric elements 156.The light beams of the light sources 155 therefore pass transverselythrough the slot 1 15'and hit upon the photoelectric elements 156. Inorder to provide the necessary space for the light sources 155 and thephotoelectricelements 156, slide plate is provided with outwardly curvedparts 157 of a substantially semicylindrical shape.

While the apparatus according to FIGS. 4 and 5 is in operation, theU-shaped bracket 149 reciprocates continuously between its retractedposition as shown in F IG. 4 and its advanced position. During eachreciprocation a single nail 101 is separated by the segregating device146 from the nails behind and blown by the nozzles 151 and 152 into theslot 115. If this nail fills out this slot completely, the light beamsof all light sources are interrupted and the gauging device in the formof the photoelectric elements indicates that the nail is proper andthereby connects the nozzles 153 to the source of. pressure so that,after the U-shaped'bar has been returned to its inactive position, thenail will be blown into the delivery rail 139. lf, however, at least oneof the light beams 155 is not or only partly interrupted, for example,because the nail is too short, too thin or bent, the gauging device willindicate the pressure of an improper nail and switch on the nozzle 154which, when the slide plate 145 has been retracted to its inactiveposition, then blows this nail out of the slot 115 and into the ejectingslot 150.

The apparatus as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 may be modified bydesigning one side wall of the slot 115, for example, the upper sidewall according to FIG. 4, as an element separate from the feed rail 102which is movable against spring action from its normal position so as topermit this slot 115 to be temporarily widened. Thus, if a nail is toothick to enter the slot 115 and the gauging device would thereforeindicate the presence of an improper nail, the U-shaped bracket 149while moving to its retracted position takes along the movable side wallof slot 115, for example, against the action of a spring (not shown),and thus widens the slot 115 so that the nail may then be blown throughthis slot into the ejecting slot 150.

While in the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5the side walls of slot 115 have a narrow depth as seen in the directionof feed, a further modification of the invention provides that theseside walls of slot 115 extend from the segregating device 146 to theslide plate 145. This embodiment of the invention may, however, beemployed only if none of the nails to be fed and gauged has a shank of adiameter larger than the width of this slot 115. The operation ofgauging the nails is then carried out only at the end of the slot wherethe light beams of the light sources 155 pass to the correspondingphotoelectric means 156.

Although our invention has been illustrated and described with referenceto the preferred embodiments thereof, we wish to have it understood thatit is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments but iscapable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus fully disclosed our invention, what we claim is:

l. A sorting apparatus for segregating improperlyshaped fastenerscomprising a feed conveyor for feeding a plurality of substantiallyparallel fasteners in a row in one direction, at least one gaugingpocket substantially in straight alignment with said feed conveyor andhaving one open side adapted to receive one fastener at a time from saidconveyor, and having two wall members limiting said pocket atsubstantially opposite sides thereof, a third wall member for limiting athird side of said pocket, said gauging pocket having a lengthsubstantially equal to the length of said fasteners, means for moving atleast one of said wall members relative to said feed conveyor, means forejecting an improperlyshaped fastener from said pocket and from thegeneral feeding direction of said row of fasteners, and gauging meansfor detecting said improper fastener in said pocket and for thenactuating said ejecting means.

2. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which said gaugingmeans comprise at least one mechanical gauging element having a lengthsubstantially equal to the length of said gauging pocket and disposedimmediately adjacent to an open side of said gauging pocket and adaptedto be moved by any part of an improper fastener projecting from the openside of said pocket and then adapted to actuate said adapting means.

3. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim I, in which said gaugingmeans comprise testing means for directing a beam upon a fastener withinsaid gauging pocket for scanning the same.

4. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 3, in which said testingmeans comprise at least one photoelectric element at one side of saidgauging pocket and at least one light source at the opposite side ofsaid pocket and directed toward said photoelectric element.

5. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 2, further comprising anelement at one side of said conveyor and adapted to revolve continuouslyin one direction corresponding to the direction of feed of saidfasteners along said conveyor and having a plurality of outwardly opengrooves each forming one of said gauging pockets and spaced from eachother so as to be adapted to receive successive fasteners of said rowfrom said co'nveyor.

6. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 5, further comprising asecond element at the opposite side of said conveyor and also adapted torevolve continously in the direction of feed of said fasteners alongsaid conveyor and having projections adapted to engage between theadjacent fasteners of said row in said conveyor and to guide saidadjacent fasteners into said grooves of said first element.

7. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 6, further comprising meansfor mounting said second element so as to be movable relative to saidfirst element, and spring means tending to move said second element inthe direction toward said first element.

8. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 5, in which said elementcomprises a cylindrical wheel, said grooves being formed in the outerperipheral surface of said wheel, and further comprising means fordriving said wheel.

9. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 8, in which said wheel has anaxis of rotation obliquely inclined to the axes of said fasteners insaid feed conveyor preceding said wheel, said grooves extending parallelto said axis of rotation, and further comprising magnetic means fordrawing said fasteners into said grooves after passing from saidconveyor to said grooves.

10. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 2, in which said gaugingelement comprises a winglike member pivotably mounted about an axis, andspring means tending to maintain said member in its normal position andadapted to return it to said position if engaged by a projecting part ofan improper fastener and deflected from said normal position. 7

11. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 10, further comprising aswitch element for actuating said ejecting means, said winglike memberhaving two arms,

one of said arms projecting toward said gauging pocket and the other armadapted to act upon said switch element when said member is pivoted fromits normal position.

12. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 5, further comprising awedgelike member mounted in a position subsequent to said ejectingmeans, as seen in the direction of rotation of said element, forremoving the proper fasteners from said element.

13. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 9, in which all of theelements of said apparatus, except said magnetic means, which arelocated adjacent to said fasteners consist of a non-magnetizablematerial.

14. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 1, in which said gaugingpocket forms a slot defined by a pair of opposite wall portions of saidconveyor spaced from each other at a width substantially equal to thethickness of said fasteners, said slot being open at the rear side forreceiving one fastener at a time from said conveyor, and a stop memberadapted to reciprocate from a closing position, in which it covers thefront side of said slot so as to hold a fastener in said slot whilebeing tested, to an open position in which it is withdrawn from saidfront side so as to permit the tested fastener to be moved out of saidslot.

15. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 14, further comprisingsegregating means preceding said open end of said slot for segregatingone fastener at a time from said row in said conveyor to permit the sameto be fed into said slot when the previous fastener in said slot hasbeen tested and moved out of said slot and said stop member has againbeen moved to its closing position. i

16. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 15, further comprisingconveying means for moving said segregated fastener toward and into saidslot, and out of said slot when said stop member is moved to its openposition.

17. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 16, in which said conveyingmeans comprise inclined nozzle means for blowing compressed air againstsaid segregated fastener in a direction toward said slot but inclined tothe direction of feed of said fastener to and from said slot.

18. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising meansfor moving a properly-shaped fastener in one direction from said pocket,said ejecting means comprising means for blowing compressed air againstan improperly-shaped fastener to eject the same from said pocket in adirection different from the direction of movement of saidproperly-shaped fastener from said pocket.

19. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 17, further comprising guidemeans for guiding a properlyshaped fastener in one direction from saidpocket, said guide means having opposite walls separated by alongitudinal channel, one of said walls having an ejecting aperture,said nozzle means being disposed at one

1. A sorting apparatus for segregating improperly-shaped fastenerscomprising a feed conveyor for feeding a plurality of substantiallyparallel fasteners in a row in one direction, at least one gaugingpocket substantially in straight alignment with said feed conveyor andhaving one open side adapted to receive one fastener at a time from saidconveyor, and having two wall members limiting said pocket atsubstantially opposite sides thereof, a third wall member for limiting athird side of said pocket, said gauging pocket having a lengthsubstantially equal to the length of said fasteners, means for moving atleast one of said wall members relative to said feed conveyor, means forejecting an improperly-shaped fastener from said pocket and from thegeneral feeding direction of said row of fasteners, and gauging meansfor detecting said improper fastener in said pocket and for thenactuating said ejecting means.
 2. A sorting apparatus as defined inclaim 1, in which said gauging means comprise at least one mechanicalgauging element having a length substantially equal to the length ofsaid gauging pocket and disposed immediately adjacent to an open side ofsaid gauging pocket and adapted to be moved by any part of an improperfastener projecting from the open side of said pocket and then adaptedto actuate said adapting means.
 3. A sorting apparatus as defined inclaim 1, in which said gauging means comprise testing means fordirecting a beam upon a fastener within said gauging pocket for scanningthe same.
 4. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 3, in which saidtesting means comprise at least one photoelectric element at one side ofsaid gauging pocket and at least one light source at the opposite sideof said pocket and directed toward said photoelectric element.
 5. Asorting apparatus as defined in claim 2, further comprising an elementat one side of said conveyor and adapted to revolve continuously in onedirection corresponding to the direction of feed of said fasteners alongsaid conveyor and having a plurality of outwardly open grooves eachforming one of said gauging pockets and spaced from each other so as tobe adapted to receive successive fasteners of said row from saidconveyor.
 6. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 5, furthercomprising a second element at the opposite side of said conveyor andalso adapted to revolve continously in the direction of feed of saidfasteners along said conveyor and having projections adapted to engagebetween the adjacent fasteners of said row in said conveyor and to guidesaid adjacent fasteners into said grooves of said first element.
 7. Asorting apparatus as defined in claim 6, further comprising means formounting said second element so as to be movable relative to said firstelement, and spring means tending to move said second element in thedirection toward said first element.
 8. A sorting apparatus as definedin claim 5, in which said element comprises a cylindrical wheel, saidgrooves being formed in the outer peripheral surface of said wheel, andfurther comprising means for driving said wheel.
 9. A sorting apparatusas defined in cLaim 8, in which said wheel has an axis of rotationobliquely inclined to the axes of said fasteners in said feed conveyorpreceding said wheel, said grooves extending parallel to said axis ofrotation, and further comprising magnetic means for drawing saidfasteners into said grooves after passing from said conveyor to saidgrooves.
 10. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 2, in which saidgauging element comprises a winglike member pivotably mounted about anaxis, and spring means tending to maintain said member in its normalposition and adapted to return it to said position if engaged by aprojecting part of an improper fastener and deflected from said normalposition.
 11. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 10, furthercomprising a switch element for actuating said ejecting means, saidwinglike member having two arms, one of said arms projecting toward saidgauging pocket and the other arm adapted to act upon said switch elementwhen said member is pivoted from its normal position.
 12. A sortingapparatus as defined in claim 5, further comprising a wedgelike membermounted in a position subsequent to said ejecting means, as seen in thedirection of rotation of said element, for removing the proper fastenersfrom said element.
 13. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 9, inwhich all of the elements of said apparatus, except said magnetic means,which are located adjacent to said fasteners consist of anon-magnetizable material.
 14. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim1, in which said gauging pocket forms a slot defined by a pair ofopposite wall portions of said conveyor spaced from each other at awidth substantially equal to the thickness of said fasteners, said slotbeing open at the rear side for receiving one fastener at a time fromsaid conveyor, and a stop member adapted to reciprocate from a closingposition, in which it covers the front side of said slot so as to hold afastener in said slot while being tested, to an open position in whichit is withdrawn from said front side so as to permit the tested fastenerto be moved out of said slot.
 15. A sorting apparatus as defined inclaim 14, further comprising segregating means preceding said open endof said slot for segregating one fastener at a time from said row insaid conveyor to permit the same to be fed into said slot when theprevious fastener in said slot has been tested and moved out of saidslot and said stop member has again been moved to its closing position.16. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 15, further comprisingconveying means for moving said segregated fastener toward and into saidslot, and out of said slot when said stop member is moved to its openposition.
 17. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 16, in which saidconveying means comprise inclined nozzle means for blowing compressedair against said segregated fastener in a direction toward said slot butinclined to the direction of feed of said fastener to and from saidslot.
 18. A sorting apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprisingmeans for moving a properly-shaped fastener in one direction from saidpocket, said ejecting means comprising means for blowing compressed airagainst an improperly-shaped fastener to eject the same from said pocketin a direction different from the direction of movement of saidproperly-shaped fastener from said pocket.
 19. A sorting apparatus asdefined in claim 17, further comprising guide means for guiding aproperly-shaped fastener in one direction from said pocket, said guidemeans having opposite walls separated by a longitudinal channel, one ofsaid walls having an ejecting aperture, said nozzle means being disposedat one lateral side of said feed conveyor between said segregating meansand said slot and forming the same side in which said ejecting apertureis located, said ejecting means comprising second inclined nozzle meansat the other lateral side of said feed conveyor for blowing compressedair against an improperly shaped fastener foR ejecting the same fromsaid pocket and through said ejecting aperture in a direction differentfrom the direction of movement of said properly-shaped fastener, andcontrol means responsive to the operation of said stop member foractuating said second nozzle means.